Mass Effect:Something to live for
by given.matthew
Summary: A brief look at Shepard's life after the end of ME3 with the end ending changed. Nothing stronger then a T rating with two F-Bombs. My first fan fiction ever please leave a review. I have made some changes,added to the story giving it more humor,and explained the ending more. Oh and I think I corrected all the mistakes. It starts out depressing but gets happy in the end.


I don't own Mass Effect and this is the first piece of fan fiction I have ever written. I am not really into fan fiction but the ending of ME3 was so bad I had to do something. Hope you like it and please review so I will know what I got wrong. Oh and I don't have anyone to proof read so your reviews are the only feedback I get. Thank you for your time.

Mass Effect:Something to live for.

Shepard was tired all he wanted to do at this point was lay down and die. He was in pain,he had lost friends,he would never see Tali again,and now it looked like everything he had asked his friends to lay down their lives for was a lie. At that moment he didn't see how anyone in history's life could have been more pointless. He had lost his life,told lies,and asked people to lay down their lives in a pointless attempted to stop something he had been told could not be stopped and this is where it ended,with him having to choose between three things that would not solve the problem he had hoped he was solving. If it were up to him he would just lay down and die right now but he had one last duty to preform before his life could end,he could not let all his friends die for nothing he had to choose.

There was only one choice he could really make. If he choose destroy he would be exterminating an inter race,one that his friend Legion had given his life to save and he would not do that. He knew the Reapers could not be controlled,they would break free at some point and only come back when the galaxy was not ready for them,also wasn't that just doing to the Reapers what they were doing to the rest of the galaxy,how would that end the problem in the long run? That left just one choice to synthesize organic and synthetic life together. Shepard was not thrilled with this choice but at least it left the chance for peace with out anyone else dying.

One last duty that was all and then his pointless life would be over with. One last duty,he limped into the light as the child watched. Then as the light took him the child laughed at him and it was not in his voice but in the voice of a Reaper! "I told you that we were the next step and you could not defeat us,now watch your failure!" The last thing Shepard saw before he died was the Galaxy screaming as every everyone in it was turned into husks. "How could he have been so stupid?!" This is what had created the collectors and he had fallen into the trap,now his life really was pointless! The last thing he ever saw was Tali as she screamed in terror for him to save her,but he could not in fact he had done this to her and then everything went black.

Shepard woke covered in sweat. In the dark he groped frantically all around the bed,he had to make sure she was here and that it was only a dream! At times like this is was glad the Quarians no longer needed their suits,he needed to feel her breathing so he knew it was all a dream. Finally he found her and he felt his heart rate slow and he began to calm down. The thought of what he could have done to her was way to much for him to bare,thankfully it had only been a dream. At least he hoped that he was awake from the dream, and if this was the dream he did not want to wake up.

Tali'Shepard _vas Rannoch_ was awoken by the movement next to her,it was still pitch dark outside and it took her a minute to wake up. "John what is wrong?" she asked. In truth she knew what was wrong. Everyone who had lived through the Reaper War had the same problem. The Quarians called it Terror,the Turians called it the unending nightmare,the Asari called it the return to darkness,the Krogan called it The Dredge,and the Humans called it PTSD,but no matter what it was called everyone in the galaxy lived with some form of this fear that did not go away completely. Tali was thankful that her husband was strong and only seemed to suffer from it around this time every year. It had been five years since the end of the war and at first this had almost destroyed their marriage but in time they had learned how to help each other through these problems. She did what she always did she held him close and told him it was just a dream and that she was here and not leaving. They lay lay like that for what seemed like a lifetime while Shepard got calmed down and got his barrings. They were in their home,the one they had built together and all was well,the nightmare was over.

They stayed that way for a while even after the sun came up but soon they heard noise coming from upstairs. "Well" Tali yawned "It sounds like the kids are up so I need to get up,and you should get up too after all that reporter will be here in a few hours and we can't have you looking like you just got out of bed."

"Yeah" Shepard replied sleepily In truth he didn't feel like giving an interview but he had always kept his word and he would not break it now,and this reporter had been waiting more then eight years for this interview so there was no backing out.

Tali was about to leave when Shepard stood up and kissed her lightly. "I don't say this enough but thanks for being here for me,I would not have gotten through any of this with out you. I love you so much" This brought a tear to Tali's eye and the only thing she could think to say was "I love you too" she went to kiss him but just then one of the kids was knocking on the door.

After he had showered Shepard joined his family for breakfast. He of course could not eat the same food they did but one of the things Tali and he enjoyed was learning how to cook for each other's races. Quarians and Humans could not have children but the war had left a lot of children with out parents. This had effected the Quarians worse then any other race since they had left all their noncombatants on Rannoch when they went into battle and since that planet had not been hit it meant that whole families were whipped out leaving only young children.

Shepard looked around the table at his family thinking that he was lucky. Not only did he make it out of the war and not kill everyone breaking the cycle but he had something he thought he lost back when he was 16 and the slavers attacked,a family. There was Rael the oldest,Rann a girl named after Tali's aunt,and Jeff. All three of them had been babies and when adopted and no one had any idea what their names had been due to loss of records so Tali and Shepard had named them after people they cared about.

After breakfast Shepard decided that he needed to take a walk and clear his head before the interview. He looked at the house and marveled and how beautiful it and the surrounding landscape were. The house was built in the Quarian style that made good use of space with round windows and doors(lots of windows Quarians loved the sun light after so many years of living in space),Shepard had added two main Human touches. He had added a porch that went all around the house and an in ground swimming pool in the back. The view from the cliff it sat on was amazing. Plant life had returned and it was in all the colors Shepard could name and then some he could not begin to describe. It truly was a breathtaking sight and he was happy he was here to see it and that he had Tali by his side. After he had lost his family to slavers he had never thought he would have a family again but here he was and he could hear his and Tali's children getting ready for school.

Shepard's thoughts were interrupted by someone walking up behind him.

"Hello and thank you for giving me this interview I know you have not done many interviews about the war and I am greatful for this chance to talk to you about it."

"You are welcome ,I figured after eight years I owed you" he said showing a faint smile.

Emily Wong didn't look like the same happy kid who he had met all those years ago when she needed help breaking stories trying to help people. She had seen a lot in the past eight years and nearly died in the war,and yet Shepard thought he saw something of the old Emily Wong in her eyes.

"Would you mind if we had the interview out here? It is such a nice day and after spending so much time on the Citadel I like to get all the fresh air I can?"Shepard asked

"Sure,no problem" Emily Wong replied somewhat happily.

"Good" said Shepard pressing a button on his Omni-tool,"I'll just have Jeeves bring us some chairs."

A few moments latter a bright blue Geth came out of the house carrying two wooden chairs,Shepard introduced Emily to him.

"This is Jeeves,Jeeves this is Emily Wong a reporter who is a old friend of mine." Shepard said motioning from one to the other.

"It is a pressure to meet you" ,Jeeves said bowing his head.

"It's good to meet you too,Jeeve?!" Emily Wong said just barely holding back a laugh.

"Given the duties I preform here it seemed like a good name."

"Jeeves helps out around the house and looks after the place when the family and I are gone." Shepard explained as though having a Geth work for him was the most natural thing in the universe.

"You can go now Jeeves."

"Yes sir",and with that the funny blue Geth went back into the house.

"I tried to get him to knock off the sir stuff",Shepard explained somewhat sheepishly "But he read some books and decided that was the proper Human way to do things."

Shepard and Wong sat opposite each other with Wong's camera floating beside her pointing at Shepard. For the first hour or so the interview went well with Shepard talking about friends he had lost in the war,explaining why he made some of the choices he had made,and then the fact that he was proud that at the end of the war he was able to help make a new council where all the races including the Krogan,Geth,and even the Vorcha had membership and that he had taken the job as President of this new council so he could make sure it worked and the mistakes of the past would not be repeated. It was at about this time that Jeeves turned up again.

"What do you want Jeeves?" Shepard asked.

"I beg your pardon sir but I was wondering if you and the young lady would like something to drink?" Said Jeeves respectfully.

'Jeeves how many times do i have to tell you that I don't like being called sir,call me John or Shepard." Shepard said,he knew he would most likely not win this fight but he was going to try any way.

"I am sorry sir but I am afraid that just would not be proper."

"Okay have it your own way" Shepard sighed. He was just glad he had talked Jeeves out of having him wear a tie every day.

"So sir would you like a drink?"

"Yes I think some lemon aid would be good." said Shepard "Is that okay with you Emily? I don't want to risk getting tipsy for the next part of the interview,it's going to be hard enough"

"That sounds fine." Answered Emily "Thank you very much Jeeves"

"You are very welcome miss,I will return in a few moments.  
Then he left again.

"So you and Tali seem very happy here." Emily observed.

"We are,to tell you the truth I wasn't sure I would be able to settle down"

"Well I wouldn't call having to run heard on the counsel settling down" Emily said with a small laugh.

"I mean not being in the military any more." Shepard explained. "I have been in it since I lost my family and at first I didn't think it would work,but my wife has been great and now I can't imagine life any other way"

"So some people thought it was some sort of political stunt when you adopted three Quarian children three years ago,what do you say to them?"

"That they are may family and I love them." Answered Shepard somewhat warmly. For the first time the interview didn't seem like two old friends talking to each other.

"I am sorry" Emily said turning her head away because she felt a little ashamed for bringing his family into this. "I just thought you may want a chance to answer what the tabloids and some factions in the Quarian government are saying"

"It's okay,you are still a reported and you are supposed to ask questions of people like me" Shepard said with a small smile so she could see he had calmed down.

"To tell you the truth I really didn't want to adopt at the time but Tali wanted kids and this was the only way we could have them,I really didn't think I would make a good father and I wasn't sure I wanted to replace the family that I lost but now I can't imagine my life without them."

"Is it hard raising a family when you and your wife come from such different cultures?" Emily asked and then added quickly "You don't have to answer that if you don't want to."

"No,I don't mind" Answered Shepard leaning forward in his chair. "Yes,it was hard and Tali have had our share of fights but we love each other so we worked it out and every culture and race has their own good and bad parts."

"So you are taking the good part from each culture then?"

"Yes." Answered Shepard "For instance when the kids get older they will go off on Pilgramage."

"Wow" Said Emily shocked "Doesn't that still involve leaving the planet in a suit and then presenting the person who they want to teach them a trade with a gift?

"Yes,it does"

"So they could be gone for years and you will not know what is going on with them."

"That is right" Shepard sighed and looked as if he didn't want to think about it.

"Again,wow." Said Emily "I can't imagine letting my little girl do that,how will you cope"

"Well it is an important part of growing up for the Quarians,and I just remember that it does teach them to work hard and be good citizens"

"Still that will be one of the harder parts I guess"

"Yeah I guess it will be and I am pretty sure I will cry when the time comes"

"So are there any particular parts of earth culture you teach your kids?"

"Of course."

"Like what?"

"Well for one I teach them our history,For another I show them our films since Quarians have only been able to make them again for about two years,and little Rael is becoming quite the Baseball nut"

"Really,Baseball?" asked Emily smiling.

"Yep you should see him pitch and I showed him how to do it" bragged Shepard. "He has gotten so many of his friends into it that his school is talking about starting a little league."

"Well that sounds interesting."

"Yeah and the most interesting part is they want Tali to run the thing since she is the only adult Quarian who really understands the game and all it's rules" Shepard then through back his head and laughed and Emily joined him.

"You know?" Said Shepard as he regained his breath "When I first met Tali in that ally on the Citadel I never could have guessed that something this wonderful would happen." He continued looking serious now "People are always talking about me but she should be the one getting credit. She opened my eyes and showed me that aliens were people the same as humans,also looking through her eyes I saw the galaxy not as a place full of danger but of wonders,and there were many times when I was ready to give up but the thought of having to see her again and hear her laugh kept me going"

"Is that what happened that one day on the Citadel?" Emily asked.

Shepard sighed and looked at the ground. "I guess we had to get back to that,didn't we?"

"Well it is why I am here" She said now feeling a little bad about bringing this up when they had been having such a good time.

"And don't worry I will tell you all about it as soon as Jeeves walks up with those lemon aid" He said looking over at Jeeves who was standing just off to the side holding a silver tray with a pitcher and two glasses on it.

"Oh I am sure that is it." Said Shepard in a tone that seguested to Emily that he was half joking and didn't quite believe Jeeves. Jeeves served the Lemon aid as Shepard explained. "You see" Said Shepard grinning happy that he had something improper to talk about the always nagging Geth doing for once "If Jeeves has one failing it's that he is a bit of a gossip and tends to stand around longer then he needs to and listen at keyholes"

"Sir I beg your pardon" Said Jeeves standing up in such a way that Emily really believed he was ashamed,an ashamed Geth now that was something new. "But this house does not have any keyholes for me to listen at"

"I should should have known I could not get the best of you" said Shepard in a joking tone. "You can go now"

"Very good good sir" and with that Jeeves went off again.

"Well Emily" Shepard said turning to Emily. "Should we get down to business now?"

"Yes I think that would be a good Idea." Replied Emily not sure how to put the next part. "But first could you tell me why you have never talked about this before?"

"I don't like thinking about it" Replied Shepard looking down at his glass.

"Why not?" asked Emily with a puzzled look on her face "After all it is the day you defeated the Reapers and I would think that out of all the days of this would be the only one you would want to think about."

"I don't like think about what could have happened" Answered Shepard sadly still not raising his head. "I didn't defeat the Reapers,we all did."

"I don't understand" Emily said still looking puzzle.

Shepard now looked up at the camera. He had a look of shame on his face. "I nearly let everyone down and through our victory away after so many people had dies for it."

"What?!" Said Emily nearly falling out of her chair in shock. "How?"

"I will come clean and tell you and the galaxy about how I almost destroyed them."

He hated thinking about the end of the war but he had never talked about it before so he steeled himself and let his mind drift back,it was about time the people of the Galaxy knew what had happened on that fateful day.

Shepard stood on the platform ready to make a choice but then he thought about what Tali would say to any of these choices and if she would want any of them done to her and he was filled with pure rage and this rage gave him a strength that up until that moment he didn't know he had,he turned his fave bright red and said two simple words to the Starchild.

"FUCK YOU!" He yelled at the top of his voice.

"You must choose or everyone dies" Said the Starchild looking a bit taken aback.

"Fuck you!"Shepard said a little calmer but in a tone that showed he would not budge. "This is not what I thought the war for,I have been bringing people together for years and what gives you the right to play god and tell me and the whole galaxy that it was all pointless?! What makes you so great?!" He demanded.

"YOU MUST CHOOSE!" The Starchild was angry now. "Synthetic life and Organic life will always destroy each other,these are the only solutions to the problem."

"I don't think so." Said Shepard sternly looking the A.I right in the eye. "The Geth only defended themselves and choose peace when given free will. EDI is in love with an organic,there is no reason to think a war will come."

"It' will!" Yelled the Starchild "There is no other way!"

"I think we should all have the chance to see what happens when we are free of you."

"I can't let that happen." The Starchild was really angry now.

"I am making the choices here and I don't think you are who you say you say you are."

"What makes you say that?!" The Starchild was still angry but Shepard thought he heard a hint of fear in his voice now.

"Well for one thing if the Reapers built the Citadel why do they still use Mass relays."

"PEOPLE ARE DYING YOU MUST CHOOSE!"

"Not before I know what is going on!" "As I said the Citadel must have something more advanced then a mass effect core at it's heart for it to come to earth and yet the Reapers still use mass relays." "The Citadel must have been built by another race and the Reapers don't understand it or they would use it's tech."

"IF YOU DO NOT CHOOSE RIGHT NOW ALL YOUR FRIENDS WILL DIE!"

"No!,They will only die if I choose,you are nothing but a trap."

"I am your only hope and I can't let you endanger the whole galaxy!"

"Well that is just too bad because I know what you are now. Tell me why are you taking the form of a boy I saw die with out anyone around him noticing him and why has your form been haunting my dreams before you were woken up?!"

Now the Starchild had fear in his eyes. "If you do not choose now I will be forced to end you!"

"You can't do that,you are nothing but the effects of an attempt to indoctrinate me by the Reapers using my guilt to make me fall into this trap. But I am John Shepard I have killed Reapers,I destroyed the collectors,and I united the galaxy! I am stronger then you and I reject you,NOW GET THE HELL OUT OF OUR GALAXY!"

Suddenly the Starchild was gone and a Prothean V.I stood in front of him.

"Well done Shepard,you are the first to defeat indoctrination and see the true nature of the conflict." Said the V.I. "You have shown that you understand the value of races outside of your own and that you value life above all else no matter the form" "You have shown that you can end the cycle."

"How do I stop it?"

"In every cycle before the races thought each other until only one race was left and it was too weak to defeat the Reapers. We discovered this and came up with a way to stop it. We discovered that the Reapers communicate with each other,control husks,and indoctrinated people using dark energy so we built a massive dark energy transmitter that would send a signal through ever mass relay at once. But before we could Protheans working on the project who were indoctrinated placed the trap you just avoided in it and turned the Protheans into what you called Collectors."

"That is all very interesting but what does this transmitter do,and how do I activate it?!"

"You must step into this beam."

A bright beam of purple light appeared between Shepard and the VI.

"What will it do?" Shepard asked.

"It will copy everything you know and send it to the Reapers,it will not enslave them it will simply let them understand what you understand and give them the chance to make the choice you have. They will know that the cycle does not have to go on." "You see we discovered that the Reapers use dark energy to communicate with each other,indoctrinate people,and control lifeforms like the husk" "Most Reapers themselves are slaves and do not have free will,they simply obey their programing and higher level Reapers." "This will send your brain waves through a massive burst of dark energy,using the mass relays it will cover every corner of the galaxy at once" "The indoctrinated will be free,the husks and other converted lifeforms will die,and the enslaved Reapers will have your knowledge" "They will be free to choose,just as you are" "There is a chance you will die doing this,but it is the only way I have to break the cycle." "Will you step into the beam?"

"Alright I'll do it."

With that Shepard walked into the beam,there was a bright flash and the next thing he knew he was on his back on Earth covered in dirt. He became aware of Tali sitting next to him.

"John please don't move!" She said pushing him down. "You are badly hurt."

"I have to know what is going on."

"Well from what I hear about half the Reapers across the galaxy have started fighting the other half and with our forces helping them we are winning,what does this mean?"

Shepard smiled as he thought back exhaustion. "It means the cycle is broken and now instead of finding things to fight for we can find something to live for,like that house I am going to build you." Shepard then pasted out.

"That is what happened that day as you know it took a few months for us to finish off the Reapers and then the ones who were left departed the galaxy."

"Do you think they will be back?" Wong asked.

"I don't know" answered Shepard "But I don't think that is what we should think about when we remember the war. I think what we need to remember is that the war showed us the value of one life and that every race has something to offer and no race is better then any other,we finally learned that we are better off together then apart." "Still I can not escape the fact that if it had not been for Tali I would have fallen into a trap and let the galaxy down" Shepard was now looking ashamed.

"You shouldn't think about the the what ifs like that" Emily said looking him straight in the eye. "The fact is she was there because you took a Quarian on your ship when everyone told you it was a bad idea and you fell in love with her when you thought you may never see her face." "Look you have enough problems with out the what ifs,life is too short for them." "You have a family to live for so instead of thinking about the what ifs you should be enjoying your life with them and letting them enjoy their life with you,that is all that matters." "Live with what is instead of what could have been."

"You know" said Shepard looking up. "I knew there was a reason you are the only reporter I ever liked talking to,you are smart and you care what happens to people." "You are right of course we all need to stop living in the war and remember that it is in the past and instead think about what we have to live for." "Thank you for helping me see that"

"Hey I figure I still owe you after all the times you helped me" Emily said with a small smile.

If Jeeves could smile he would be right now. He had just learned something he had always wanted to know. He had of course been behind a bush the whole time and heard every word Shepard had said.

The End.

Thank you for reading and please leave feedback.


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